Title |
Bloodstream bacterial infection among outpatient children with acute febrile illness in north-eastern Tanzania
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Published in |
BMC Research Notes, July 2015
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DOI | 10.1186/s13104-015-1178-9 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Coline Mahende, Billy Ngasala, John Lusingu, Allvan Butichi, Paminus Lushino, Martha Lemnge, Bruno Mmbando, Zul Premji |
Abstract |
Fever is a common clinical symptom in children attending hospital outpatient clinics in rural Tanzania, yet there is still a paucity of data on the burden of bloodstream bacterial infection among these patients. The present study was conducted at Korogwe District Hospital in north-eastern Tanzania. Patients aged between 2 and 59 months with a history of fever or measured axillary temperature ≥37.5°C attending the outpatient clinic were screened for enrolment into the study. Blood culturing was performed using the BACTEC 9050® system. A biochemical analytical profile index and serological tests were used for identification and confirmation of bacterial isolates. In-vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The identification of Plasmodium falciparum malaria was performed by microscopy with Giemsa stained blood films. A total of 808 blood cultures were collected between January and October 2013. Bacterial growth was observed in 62/808 (7.7%) of the cultured samples. Pathogenic bacteria were identified in 26/808 (3.2%) cultures and the remaining 36/62 (58.1%) were classified as contaminants. Salmonella typhi was the predominant bacterial isolate detected in 17/26 (65.4%) patients of which 16/17 (94.1%) were from patients above 12 months of age. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the second leading bacterial isolate detected in 4/26 (15.4%) patients. A high proportion of S. typhi 11/17 (64.7%) was isolated during the rainy season. S. typhi isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin (n = 17/17, 100%) and ceftriaxone (n = 13/17, 76.5%) but resistant to chloramphenicol (n = 15/17, 88.2%). P. falciparum malaria was identified in 69/808 (8.5%) patients, none of whom had bacterial infection. Bloodstream bacterial infection was not found to be a common cause of fever in outpatient children; and S. typhi was the predominant isolate. This study highlights the need for rational use of antimicrobial prescription in febrile paediatric outpatients presenting at healthcare facilities in rural Tanzania. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United Kingdom | 1 | 33% |
Unknown | 2 | 67% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 3 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Malaysia | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 220 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Student > Bachelor | 63 | 29% |
Student > Master | 46 | 21% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 30 | 14% |
Researcher | 18 | 8% |
Student > Postgraduate | 15 | 7% |
Other | 27 | 12% |
Unknown | 22 | 10% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Medicine and Dentistry | 88 | 40% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 42 | 19% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 12 | 5% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 10 | 5% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 8 | 4% |
Other | 34 | 15% |
Unknown | 27 | 12% |